patience grasshopper

[delboy]

I had a couple of attempts at making a brown ale last month, i ended up changing quite a lot ie quicker sparge, higher mash and low attenuating yeast (S04 used).

Anyway long story short, i ended up with a very sweet syrupy liquid from the second attemp that only climbed down from 1048 to 1022.
It was started on the 20th of last month and after a few weeks of it doing nothing i gave up on it and forgot about it (was away on me hols).
Five weeks on and i decide its probably time to get rid of it, guess what the brewing fairies have paid it a visit, its down to 1014-1016 and tastes bloody great (nicely balanced), its now headed for my spare cornie and my amarillo ale which i had planned to keg tonight is going back under the stairs until another becomes available.

Moral of the story don't give up on a brew, have patience, oh and autolysis in the primary fermentor is a load of old hoh-hah, unless you leave it for months i guess .

[Garth]

nice one db, which recipe have you used?

I drank Newky Brown Ale exclusively for years and I originally got back into brewing to try and do a kit that replicated it, now I've done 20 or so AG I still haven't done a brown so would love to see you findings....

oh and what's happening with the SNPA, any joy?

[delboy]

The recipe is below, if i was doing it again i would probably do it with a yeast other than S04 (wouldn't want another 5 week wait before kegging)

I wouldn't say its a newkie brown clone (my attempt is more roasty and has a bit more depth).

4.5 kg Marris otter (4-5 E.B.C)
500g crystal 60 (120-125 E.B.C)
200g chocolate malt (500 E.B.C)
50g Black malt (1160 E.B.C)


Mash for 75 min at 67-68 C

Hops -

20g Target at 11 % for 60 mins
30g goldings at 4.1% 15 mins

30 IBU (rooftop website, IBU claculator)

75 minute boil


The SNPA MKII clone still isn't quite there it still has a harshess to it that isn't in the orginal, i'll have to keep trying (thats the fun part anyway).

[Calum]

I love this type of stuff. They really do rip up all the rule books.

I have a bottled IPA in the garage that was bottled in October 2004. It was very bitter (not just IPA bitter - really bitter) and had a haze that just would not drop. Anyway, coming up for three years on the bitterness has mellowed and it drinks great. The haze has also gone. A completely different example but it does reinforce the "patience" mantra.

[delboy]

I love this type of stuff. They really do rip up all the rule books.

I have a bottled IPA in the garage that was bottled in October 2004. It was very bitter (not just IPA bitter - really bitter) and had a haze that just would not drop. Anyway, coming up for three years on the bitterness has mellowed and it drinks great. The haze has also gone. A completely different example but it does reinforce the "patience" mantra.

3 years , thats what i call patience!!

The best beer kit i did had a similar story to the brown ale it sat in the primary for about a month before kegging and it was great also.

I think i might start leaving my brews in the primary for a month or so, i think i've been rushing things along too much soo i can taste/drink them and move onto the next brew.

[SteveD]

I have a bottled IPA in the garage that was bottled in October 2004. It was very bitter (not just IPA bitter - really bitter) and had a haze that just would not drop. Anyway, coming up for three years on the bitterness has mellowed and it drinks great. The haze has also gone. A completely different example but it does reinforce the "patience" mantra.

That IS IPA bitter. Traditional examples are up around OG1060 to 1075, 160IBU, some more, some less, using 10-16oz goldings/5 gals - and need keeping 12 months upwards before approaching carefully from a safe distance by which time the snarling hop monster will have been tamed. Then, it becomes a beer hard to beat.

[J_P]

Hey Del

I tried to clone Thwaites Double Century a while back and in an attempt to emulate the spicy notes in the beer I used Safbrew T58 yeast - the result? B*gger all like thwaites but the banana esters notes the yeast produced helped make it a very convincing NBA clone provided you didn't stir the yeast up when pouring I think my recipe had a bit more depth and roast flavours than the original but that's nothing to worry about.

I could dig the recipe out if you'd like.

[delboy]

Hey Del

I tried to clone Thwaites Double Century a while back and in an attempt to emulate the spicy notes in the beer I used Safbrew T58 yeast - the result? B*gger all like thwaites but the banana esters notes the yeast produced helped make it a very convincing NBA clone provided you didn't stir the yeast up when pouring I think my recipe had a bit more depth and roast flavours than the original but that's nothing to worry about.

I could dig the recipe out if you'd like.

Yeah I'd be interested in that

[J_P]

Here you go

Grain Bill
4.00kg Maris Otter Pale Malt
0.34kg Crystal malt
0.10kg Black Malt
0.10kg 100g Torrified Wheat

Hop Schedule
25 IBU's from 62.5g Fuggles 90minute boil
20g East Kent Goldings at 15 minutes
20g Bramling Cross at 15 minutes
I also dry hopped with 15g Bramling cross after initial fermentation was over.

90 Minute mash at around 66C and a 90 minute boil

30l @ 1.043 which went to 1.010 making it a warming 4.4%ABV

Yeast used was Safbrew T58